“Who Am I To Command The Army Or Give Orders” – BBS Gnanasara
August 6, 2013
The Bodu Bala Sena organisation today responded strongly to a newspaper report claiming that the group had ordered troops into Weliweriya where violent clashes between residents and armed forces have left three persons dead and dozens injured, saying it did not possess the power to deploy the armed forces.
Gnanasara
At a special press conference convened to refute a claim made by the Ceylon Today newspaper which published a lead story yesterday quoting the BBS General Secretary Galagodaththe Gnanasara as saying he had ordered troops into the Weliweriya area, the BBS said that the news story had been misleading.
“Who am I to command the army or give orders,” the BBS General Secretary told journalists.
He said that while the BBS had visited Rathupaswela where the public was agitating for clean drinking water and protesting against a factory they claimed was contaminating the ground water, they had only attempted to get the authorities to intervene to resolve the issue.
The General Secretary said that he had misquoted after giving a three minute interview to a newspaper on the way back to Colombo from Mahiyanganaya. and that comments he made had been erroneously reported by the journalist.
He said such inaccurate reporting could endanger the country, Buddhism, and Buddhist monks.
“Those people could get excited and even come kill us,” he expressed. Read More
Investigators Of Alleged Army Killings Of Protesters Should Be Truly Independent – Amnesty International
August 6, 2013
The Sri Lankan authorities must not allow the army to investigate itself over allegations of excessive use of force by its members after three protesters demonstrating over access to drinking water were killed over the weekend, Amnesty International said.
“The Sri Lankan army should have never been policing unarmed demonstrators in the first place, and having them investigate their own alleged abuses is simply ridiculous,” said Polly Truscott, Asia Deputy Director at Amnesty International.
The weeping mother of Weliweriya | Photo courtesy Indika Handuwela/ Sunday Times
“Sri Lankan authorities must urgently initiate an effective investigation into this tragic incident. The investigation must be independent, impartial and conducted with the professionalism, resources and powers necessary to unearth the truth about this incident. The army cannot be seen to investigate itself. Anything less will send the message that using excessive force against protesters is permitted.” Read More
